West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office: Fire-Safe Cigarette Legislation

Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes (CFSC): www.firesafecigarettes.org

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes is to save lives, prevent injuries and devastation from cigarette-ignited fires by calling on cigarette manufacturers to immediately produce and market only cigarettes that adhere to an established cigarette fire safety performance standard, (based on ASTM E2187, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes); and working to see that these standards for fire-safe cigarettes are required in every state in the country.

Who We Are:

The Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes (CFSC) is a national group of fire service members, consumer and disabled rights advocates, medical and public health practitioners and others, coordinated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), who are committed to saving lives and preventing injuries by reducing the threat of cigarette-ignited fires.

Background:

Cigarettes currently are the leading cause of home fire fatalities in the U.S. killing 700 to 900 people, smokers and nonsmokers alike, every year. In addition, thousands of victims suffer burn and lung injuries, and property losses total millions of dollars each year.

Yet, there is a proven, practical, and effective way to eliminate the risk of cigarette-ignited fires. The use of cigarettes that have a reduced propensity to burn when left unattended will help to prevent tens of thousands of cigarette-ignited fires each year. The use of such "fire-safe" cigarettes has already been mandated in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Vermont (covering nearly half of Americans) and in all of Canada.

Call to Action:

We applaud the successful actions of state legislatures to mandate that cigarettes sold in their states follow established guidelines for reduced ignition propensity, and we encourage all states to do so.

Therefore, we call on cigarette manufacturers to immediately begin producing and marketing only cigarettes that have a reduced propensity to burn when left unattended (as established through testing to a performance standard based on ASTM E2187, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Ignition Strength of Cigarettes).

Last Updated CFSC 7/07

To Support Legislation in West Virginia

Any groups interested in adding their support to this important life-safety legislation are encouraged to contact Carol Nolte, WV State Fire Marshal's Office, at 304-558-2191, ext. 223.